A mere four days later and Andy was being released from the hospital with nothing more than a prescription for some pain medication and some well wishes.
The staff at the hospital had monitored her for the duration of her stay and she recovered quite well, feeling stronger and stronger each day. More of her memories returned until only the time she spent in the coma remained a blank.
The worst part was that she now got these awful migraines. And while they had decreased steadily since the time she had regained consciousness, they still occurred at random and left her hurting for quite a while. The doctor had also given her a prescription for a migraine medicine that should take the edge off and eventually prevent them, for which Andy was grateful.
Andy was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, surveying the room. It still held remnants of the little party that her rookie friends had thrown for her the day after she had awakened. There were sad balloons that would no longer float dangling in one corner and a mountain of stuffed animals from others at the precinct. Her friends had been great and it was wonderful to see them. But after they had gone, Andy had been happy just to fall asleep in Sam's arms.
Sitting on the bed, Andy was hunched over; unable to sit up fully straight because of her broken ribs, one on each side. The doctor said they would get better and had been improving every day, but they would still be sore for a while. Her wrist was still in a cast, black with white trimming so it lacked signatures, but Andy didn't mind. It would be off soon enough.
The past couple of days, Andy had been practicing walking around. Her leg muscles, for one, weren't used to it and neither was her sprained ankle. But she had grown by leaps and bounds and now she was only limping slightly; in a week or two, it might even be back to normal.
Sam had told her to wait until he pulled up the truck and obediently, she had. She secretly liked how Sam was taking care of her, but at times he was a little overbearing. She understood that he had almost lost her, and she was as glad to be alive as anyone. But sometimes, she needed to do things for herself. After a talk with Sam, she was sure he understood. He even apologized for not giving her space, which was a huge thing for him. Sam Swarek was not one to apologize usually.
Not too long after, Sam appeared in the door way. Andy liked the way his form fitting grey tee shirt showed off his defined muscles. His dark grey jeans hugged his hips just so. After not being able to see him for so long, she didn't think she would ever get tired of looking at him.
Noticing her staring, he smirked. "You ready to go?" he asked her. She was coming home, finally.
Andy nodded, struggling to her feet. It was good to be back in normal clothes instead of the hospital issued gowns. She had on a large sweatshirt of Sam's and dark grey sweatpants, sitting low on her hips. Her hair was pulled in a ponytail because it was still growing out on one side and it was the only style that didn't make it look stupid.
"Good," Sam said and disappeared out in the hall before, a minute later, appearing again, this time a wheelchair in tow. "Hop in."
"No way, Sam." She had come so far. She didn't need a wheelchair. She could walk…limp…out of this hospital on her own. She stuck her chin up defiantly.
"I thought you might say that," Sam chuckled. Always independent, she was. "But this isn't up for discussion. It is hospital procedure."
He was right, Andy knew. And after some hemming and hawing, she finally climbed into the damned contraption, clutching a large teddy bear that Oliver had given her to her chest.
Sam began wheeling her through the unfamiliar hallway. Though she had been there for months, she hadn't seen it all. Andy waved back at the smiling staff, all of whom had had a chance to take care of her during her long stay there. She even recognized Monica, Sam's ex, beaming at her.
Finally, they made it to the elevator and Andy sighed as the doors slid shut mercifully in front of her.
Before she knew it, they were in front of the exit. People milled about, paying her no attention. But Andy's heartbeat had quickened. She hadn't been outside in such a long time. She craned her neck back and looked at Sam, who was hesitating. She gave him a huge smile, the one he fell in love with. "Let's go!"
Sam hit the handicapped button and waited as the doors opened so very slowly. Then, he pushed her through.
It was raining. No, pouring was more like it.
Andy didn't expect it and she gasped. The rain was cold and her skin wasn't used to this kind of weather. It almost hurt as it pinged against her skin.
Sam tried to get everything settled in the car before he reached over to help Andy into the truck. He turned and realized that Andy had climbed out of the wheelchair. He shielded his eyes against the onslaught of rain. "Andy!" he called.
Andy was standing, a few feet from the truck. She was looking up at the sky and smiling. Then, she held out a hand for Sam to join her. "Come on!" she called over the wind.
"You are going to get sick!" he cried, worried. But Andy was stubborn and he made his way to her side, clutching her hand. They were drenched and there was water dripping off the ends of his hair.
Andy was laughing, water soaking her whole body. It felt so good. She watched as a rain drop trailed off the end of her nose. Andy threw her hands around Sam's neck, ignoring the protesting that her ribs gave her. "Dance with me," she whispered softly in his ear.
Sam's breath caught in his throat. Her whisper sent chills down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold rain. He gestured for her to stand on his feet, knowing her body wasn't up for the challenge. He realized that the last time that he had danced with her was at their wedding.
He wrapped his arms around her hips, holding her in place as she climbed up onto his feet. She had lost so much weight; he could barely feel the pressure on his toes. Her arms wrapped themselves more firmly around his neck.
Gently, they swayed back and forth, dancing in the rain. Sam hummed softly in her ear, only slightly out of tune; it was an old song she didn't recognize. He pressed his lips against her neck. She loved how warm they felt in contrast to the rain that had slicked her skin. Andy closed her eyes. She didn't want to forget this moment. It was perfect.
Sam pulled back, allowing Andy to look up into his eyes. He reached up and tucked a stray piece of wet hair behind her ear. Then, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, slipping a hand behind her neck and keeping one hand slung across her hips. She gasped as his tongue entered her mouth. She didn't want him to stop.
He kissed her until she was breathless. Nothing had ever felt more right.
Sam turned off his truck as they pulled up in front of his house. They sat there, listening as the truck cooled off.
Sam shifted in his seat so he was facing Andy. "Welcome home." He realized that they had never spent time in this house together as man and wife.
He could tell that she was thinking the same thing because in a flurry she had unclipped her seatbelt and flung open the truck door. By the time that he got out and made his way around to the other side, grabbing all the things from the hospital in the back, she was waiting impatiently, arms crossed. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still a murky grey.
He slung his arm over her shoulder, holding her close as they made it up the stairs. He could tell she was getting tired because she leaned heavily against him as they walked up the front steps.
Andy snatched the key out of his hand after he fished it out of his pocket with a wicked grin and slid it into the lock, letting the door swing open. They crossed the threshold together, hand in hand.
Sam flicked on the lights, discarding the bags by the front door.
Andy had walked a few paces ahead of him and just stood there, spinning in a slow circle. She took a deep breath, coming to a stop, facing him. "It is so good to be home," she sighed, breathlessly.
A moment later, Andy nearly jumped out of her skin as something rammed into her leg. She stifled a scream but only barely as Sam chuckled, instantly by her side. He knelt down and scooped up whatever had bumped into her.
"I told you to wait," Sam said affectionately to the tiny kitten he held in his hand. Awkwardly, he presented it to her. "Here's your 'welcome home' present!"
"Aw, Sam. You got me a kitten?!" she squealed, letting her girly side come out. The kitten was a light orange tabby cat with tiger stripes down his back. All of his tiny paws were white. "Wait a minute. I distinctly remember you saying, no pets. Ever." She raised her eyebrows towards her hairline.
Sam shrugged. "Times have changed. Plus, I kind of like him."
Taking his answer, Andy took the little ball of fluff and cuddled him. Petting him as he purred, he cuddled up into her neck. "He is so tiny. And perfect. Thank you." Andy stood on her tip toes to give Sam a kiss on the cheek.
"The thing is, he still needs a name," Sam said as they walked together into the living room. The kitten in Andy's hands made little mewing sounds. "I've never been good at those kind of things," Sam admitted as they sat on the couch. "My teddy bears were always named 'Teddy' or 'Beary'. Sam laughed at the memory.
"Hmm," Andy said thoughtfully. "Can we call him Champ?"
Sam nodded, taking a liking to it immediately. It seemed oddly fitting since Andy was a champion to him; making it back to him. "I like it a lot."
"Welcome to the family Champ," Andy yawned. The kitten climbed up and licked her nose.
Sam flicked on the TV and soon enough, both Andy and Champ were sleeping on top of him. It had been a long day for both of them.
After the football game he had been watching was over, Sam carefully carried Andy and the kitten up the stairs. He placed Champ at the foot of the bed, where he curled up and went back to sleep immediately.
He had just laid Andy on her side of the bed when she stirred. Sleepily, she smiled up at him. Stripping to his boxers, he climbed into bed beside her, curling up close.
She turned over, facing him. She tugged on him until he was hovering over her. Her mind flashed back to the time of the blackout, so many years ago. The first time she had kissed Sam. Now look how far they had come.
She was far from sleepy now. Looking him in the eye she said, "Make love to me."
He pressed his lips to her, briefly wondering if this was a good idea, if it was too soon. But he promised to be gentle. He wouldn't hurt her, and she knew it. She trusted him.
But as soon as he pressed his lips to hers, they met with a fever. The light kiss deepened into a passionate one, his hands running all over her body with a tenderness that made Andy sigh into his open mouth. Her body was on fire as he kissed all over her body.
He always made her feel like she never had before. It was one of the things that she had missed most. Not just the sex, though it was mind blowing, but the intimacy behind it. How connected they felt, as if they were one.
And that night, they were.
Hours later, Andy lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her hair stuck to her forehead from the sweat. Sam's arms were around her waist as he lay on her naked stomach. Surprisingly, she felt no pain.
Andy stroked Sam's head, running her fingers through his hair. Noticing that he was just as sweaty as she was, it made her giggle.
Soon enough, Sam was asleep. She could tell because his breathing was heavy and every so often he let out a snore. She watched him with a fondness in her heart. He had waited for her. The doctors had told him that she wouldn't wake up and he hadn't believed it. She was so lucky to have him in her life. She made a mental note to tell him that, someday soon.
Andy yawned, exhaustion sweeping over her. Sometimes, she was still nervous to go to sleep; she feared she wouldn't wake up the next day. But Sam was here, and he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.
Andy matched her breathing to Sam's and soon, fell asleep herself, happy that she and Sam were reunited again.
Just wanted some cute Sam and Andy moments before the action that is sure to come. Hope you aren't getting too impatient with me. I know you want to find out who did this to her. I promise, you will soon. I am just craving the fiery Sam and Andy moments that Rookie Blue is sorely lacking. Thus, this is where this chapter came from. Anyway, don't hate me! More soon!